Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery

Step into one of Sheffield’s architectural treasures, the award winning Millennium Gallery, an inspiring venue in the heart of the city centre.

Venue Type:

Gallery

Opening hours

Mon - Sat 10.00-17.00Sun 11.00-16.00

Admission charges

Admission to Millennium Gallery is free, except for some special exhibitions.

Additional info

See website for details

The Metalwork Gallery is home to Sheffield's Designated Collection of metalwork, which hads been recognised for its national significance.

The collection is made up of cutlery, flatware and hollowware made in the city, together with an outstanding selection of comparative material from Europe and many parts of Africa and Asia. It includes silver, pewter, stainless steel and Old Sheffield Plate and is the best collection of its kind in this country and almost certainly the world. The collection dates from the 14th century to the present day and includes unique, handcrafted one-off pieces and examples of the mass-produced cutlery for which Sheffield has an international reputation.

Also housed at the Millennium Gallery, The Ruskin Collection reopened in spring 2011 following a major redevelopment programme which has transformed the Ruskin displays.

The collection was brought together by John Ruskin (1819 - 1900), a renowned Victorian writer, artist, and critic who had a major impact on nineteenth century thinking. In 1875 Ruskin established a small museum in Sheffield so that the ‘working men’ would be able to enjoy and benefit from seeing this wide-ranging collection. Since then the Ruskin Gallery has had various homes in Sheffield; Meersbrook Park, the Hays building on Norfolk Street and since 2001 has been shown at the Millennium Gallery.

The four month redevelopment programme has seen a total redesign of the gallery space, new display cases and lighting, as well as improved access to the collection. The new displays include the chance to explore ‘Ruskin’s Desk’, a new interactive telling the story of the collection, brand new audio visual interpretation and the addition of new comfy seating.

Owned by the Guild of St. George, the collection contains an array of paintings, drawings, photographs, books, and minerals, all of which illustrate the beauty of the natural world or the skill of craftsman and artists. An exquisite painting of St Mark’s in Venice by J.W. Bunney, medieval illuminated manuscripts and detailed botanical drawings can be seen in the gallery alongside large plaster casts of architectural features from ancient buildings and beautiful minerals such as opal and ameythyst.

Collection details

Key artists and exhibits

The Millennium Gallery has two temporary exhibition spaces. The Special Exhibition Gallery shows blockbuster exhibitions from national galleries and museums such as the V&A, Tate and the National Portrait Gallery. The craft and Design Gallery shows the best in contemporary craft and design.

Designated Collection

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Exhibition (permanent)

The Ruskin Collection

1 January 2000 — 1 January 2020 *on now

John Ruskin, who formed this collection, was a Victorian writer who searched passionately for beauty in the world around him. He explored nature from the smallest pebble to the mightiest landscape and examined art from the daintiest brush stroke to soaring architectural structures.

During his lifetime,England’s manufacturing cities expanded and became wealthy, whilst their workforces lived in poverty and grime. Workers had little to inspire them. Ruskin wanted to counter this imbalance and set up the Guild of St George, a philanthropic society. Through the Guild, Ruskin founded a museum specifically for Sheffield’s workers. He filled it with a collection of artworks, illustrated books and minerals, all chosen to reflect his exploration of beauty.

Originally sited at Walkley, just outside the city centre, visitors could escape the smoke that surrounded them and immerse themselves in nature and art. Today, though the Ruskin Collection is exhibited in the city centre, it is still displayed and used as the creative and inspirational tool that Ruskin intended.

Visitors to the Ruskin Collection will see a broad range of exhibits, including early renaissance art, gothic architecture, engravings, mosaic decoration, illustrations of birds, flowers, insects, geological specimens, illustrated books and medieval manuscripts.

The items on display from the Ruskin Collection are changed twice each year. Explore the collection through the changing displays, and find out if you share Ruskin’s thoughts on beauty.

Exhibition (temporary)

Hope is Strong

17 February — 10 June 2018 *on now

With far right parties and hate crimes on the rise, civil liberties and minority rights seem more at risk today than we could have imagined. In these turbulent times, Hope is Strong explores the power of art to question the world we live in.

See work by one of the world’s foremost politically motivated artists, Ai Weiwei, alongside Jeremy Deller's The Battle of Orgreave Archive (An Injury to One is an Injury to All), chronicling the confrontations between police and striking miners in South Yorkshire.

Hope is Strong is part of our 2018 Protest & Activism season supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund marking the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act. Hope is Strong will be complemented at Weston Park Museum by Changing Lives, a new exhibition exploring 200 years of people and protest in Sheffield.

Contemporary Metalwork in Sheffield - Living Metal

Explore the skills and knowledge of today's metalworkers in Sheffield. Discover the products made and find out more about the people who make them. Explore the skills and knowledge that people and companies use in the production.

Publisher

This resource was produced as part of the MLA-funded My Learning project.

Publisher

Metalwork Gallery Animations: Pea knife

An animation about the use of a 1930s Pea knife, designed to assist a diner to eat peas. The peas were balanced along the central slot, enabling them to be raised to mouth without rolling off the blade. It is possible that this knife was designed to be used by children.

Publisher

This resource was produced as part of the MLA-funded My Learning project.

Digital and online resources

Metalwork Gallery Animations: Turtle soup tureen

An animation about how a 1800s turtle soup tureen was made and used. The tureen could hold up to six litres of soup in its body and was used to serve soup made from green turtles imported from the West Indies. Turtle soup and mock turtle soup were very popular dishes in Victorian times.

Publisher

This resource was produced as part of the MLA-funded My Learning project.

Ruskin and Nature - explore the gallery with your class

A resource about the importance John Ruskin placed on nature and his belief that we should never take our environment for granted. His collection which inspired the craftsmen of Sheffield is founded on these beliefs and contains many references to nature - good images.

Publisher

This resource was produced as part of the MLA-funded My Learning project.

Digital and online resources

Thomas´s Metalwork Trail, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield

A gallery trail for three to six year olds with Thomas the Soup Tureen, plus good images and information about objects in Sheffield's Metalwork Gallery including tea urns, ivory handles, unusual cutlery and mythical beasts.

Publisher

This resource was produced as part of the MLA-funded My Learning project.

Website

E-mail

Telephone

Main Reception

0114 278 2600

Bookings for Tours, Talks, Events and School Trips

0114 278 2655

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.